Why is food tasteless in flight? (And does French gastronomy work at 33,000 feet?)

The meals served by the airlines have a really bad press with the travelers. We are not talking about quantities or even the absence of meals, as some airlines have made their profits at the expense of the passenger’s stomach, but rather about taste and flavor.

No, the taste of food does not change in the air

There is a preconceived idea on the subject that must be challenged: the taste of food changes with altitude. Well, that’s not true. It is not their taste that changes but ours, our ability to perceive flavors, that deteriorates.

You will tell me that in the end it comes down to the same thing, but it is important to specify it because it means one thing: the airlines can make all the efforts they want, but they will not be able to fight against this almost mechanical degradation. We are talking about a loss of 30% of our gustatory and olfactory capacities.

What is the reason for this? There are many factors that make the in-flight dining experience a nightmare. The noise, the crowding, the stress that some passengers feel when they fly contribute to this bad experience buttwo things impact the way we perceive the taste of food: humidity and pressurization.

Despite the efforts of aircraft manufacturers, who have made enormous progress in recent years in terms of cabin comfort, the fact remains that we are and will continue to be far from being able to recreate cow floor conditions in flight. In any case, if there is a way to give us back our terrestrial sensations, the ball is in the court of Airbus or Boeing and not in that of the cooks who are already working miracles in a highly constrained environment.

The headache of designing an in-flight meal

Because even before talking about the taste of what is served, it is necessary to talk about what can or cannot be served in flight given the very particular conditions of reheating and consumption.

We are not even talking about the size and weight of the trays. Then it is necessary to take into account the bacteriological risk (no raw meat or fish), to banish the dishes which can give off too important smells during the reheating, those which can have an unappreciable effect when the passenger spends hours in a confined space (like the cassoulet you see…..), the sauce must be able to endure the multiple manipulations of which the meal tray is the object from the kitchen to your table. And even if the airlines propose today special trays (Kosher, Hallal, gluten free, vegetarian etc.) they will also avoid the fault of taste and proscribe the food which can disturb the people of other cultures (did you know that for some people to eat rabbit brings bad luck?).

In short, so many reasons why from flight to flight it is difficult to escape from the traditional “chicken or pasta” ?

So of course it is possible be a little more creative in business or in first because there are fewer people to serve, we see more and more airlines offering trays that are no longer reheated but set on the plate, and some even have a cook in the front classes. I might as well tell you that when you are used to insipid and badly reheated omelets, it’s a shock when you can ask the Garuda Indonesia cook at any time of the night to make you eggs in the way that suits you

Not all foods are equal at 33,000 feet

And so, since we lose part of our sense of taste and smell, the foods that are tasty at altitude are often those that have the most on the ground or the dishes whose taste has been “boosted”.

Cardamom, curry or lemon will boost the taste of your dishes at altitude.

A flavor like unami is still very well perceived at altitude, which is the reason for the success of tomato juice in airplanesbecause it tastes the same as on the ground.

However, it’s not all bad and I remember some very tasty dishes I’ve eaten in recent years.

A remarkably seasoned lamb on Garuda…

Or this lamb with harrissa….

Or this on a medium-haul route…

This “breakfast” served in the middle of the afternoon:

Without forgetting the satay skewers…

Or this KLM flight with an appetizer tray that “dares” Brussels sprouts.

And a very tasty Mexican chicken.

Then you will say to me “yes it is easy, it shows only dishes of business or of first class”. Of course it is a little more sophisticated and evolved, but the result, in terms of taste, is absolutely the same in economy.

Why ? The answer will lead us to take a critical look at French gastronomy.

Does French gastronomy work at 33,000 feet?

All these menus had one thing in common: dishes that were very hot and spicy in nature. Result: we really feel the taste, we have the impression that our taste buds wake up with each bite. And then we realize that like food, not all cuisines are equal above the clouds.

I will pass over the Asian or even Middle Eastern airlines in which spicy dishes and other curries are part of the background business. Then you have the countries without a great gastronomic culture (without offending my Dutch friends for example) who can afford to offer an international cuisine adapted to air travel, often borrowing from Asian, Middle Eastern or South American cuisine.

And then you have the countries with a very strong gastronomic culture, whose cuisine is undeniably part of the image, the value proposition, the promise of experience of their airlines, and at the top of the list: France.

French cuisine is distinguished by its finesse and subtlety, not by the power of its spices and seasonings. In economy of course, but even more so in first class (as at the moment with Michel Roth) as in business (today with Anne-Sophie Pic), we see very refined, fine menus.

Beef cheek, coffee consommé, celery, chestnut, carrot balls.

A very airy cuisine whose paradox is often to leave us hungry in flight.

If it is one of the best, if not the best on land, French cuisine seems to us deeply unsuited to the aerial meal tray. A ball and chain for the French airlines which are bound hand and foot, by their image and their status of ambassador of our cultural heritage, to a cuisine that the altitude is far to value.

So okay with the “Pasta or chicken?”…as long as the chicken is curried.

A friend recently told me “my next long-haul flight in economy on Air France, I’ll try the Hindu menu...we’ll see”. And of course we at TravelGuys are waiting for his feedback with impatience.

Photo : in flight meal by Aureliy via Shutterstock